Alabama football and quarterback Jalen Milroe exited their matchup against USF with many questions surrounding the program, including whether Nick Saban had lost his touch.

The Crimson Tide defeated the Bulls by a narrow 17-3 margin in Tampa on Sept. 16, 2023. Coming off a loss to Texas at home the week prior, questions abounded about the Alabama offense and whether the team could be a national title contender. Milroe did not play in the game and had plenty of questions surrounding himself, too.

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Of course, the Crimson Tide went on to win every game for the rest of the regular season and then the SEC Championship over then-No. 1 Georgia to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. Milroe was a contender for the Heisman Trophy the rest of the season and entered the 2024 college football season as a favorite to push for the award as a junior.

With Alabama set to host USF on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, it's a good time to look back at the 2023 Crimson Tide-Bulls matchup and see how it helped Alabama get back on track and helped Milroe improve:

Why did Jason Milroe not play against USF in 2023?

Milroe started the first two games of the 2023 football season for the Crimson Tide, but he was 14-of-27 passing for 255 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the loss to Texas, with his two interceptions leading to 10 points for the Longhorns. Saban told ESPN he would play three quarterbacks against the Bulls: Milroe, Tyler Buchner, and Ty Simpson.

Buchner and Simpson played against USF in Tampa, but Milroe never entered the game despite their offensive struggles. Saban said Milroe was initially frustrated when he learned all three quarterbacks would play. However, the fact that Milore was seen celebrating with his teammates on the sidelines boded well in the eyes of the now-retired legendary coach.

"He really has been supportive of his teammates, and I was happy to see that," Saban said after the win over South Florida. "Hopefully, we’ll all learn lessons from the experiences that we have and move forward in a positive way.”

Jalen Milroe after the USF 'benching'

Heading into Alabama's SEC opener the following week, Milroe was named the starter by Saban against Ole Miss. From there, Milroe's season really took off. In his first two weeks, Milroe was 27-for-45 (60%) passing for 449 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also added 22 rushes for 92 rushes.

Following the Texas game, Milroe found a groove for the Crimson Tide. He completed 144-of-216 (67%) for 2,299 yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. He was 13-of-23 passing for 192 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-24 win over the Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.

“That was a chance for us to come together as a team and talk about the LANK mentality: Let all naysayers know…” Milroe said at SEC Media Days in July. “It was all very special for our group to come together as one and try to refocus and go attack all our short-term goals and long-term goals.”

Milroe's best performance came against LSU, where he completed 15-of-23 passes for 219 yards and added a career-high 155 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in a 42-28 victory over the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

Milroe was 7-for-9 passing for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the opener against Western Kentucky, adding 79 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.

Jalen Milroe stats

Here's a look at Milroe's stats during his four seasons with the Crimson Tide:

• 2021: 3-for-7 passing, 41 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions; 15 rushes for 57 yards

• 2022: 31-for-53 passing, 297 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions; 31 rushes for 263 yards and a touchdown

• 2023: 187-for-284 passing, 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns, six interceptions; 161 rushes for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns

• 2024: 7-for-9 passing, 200 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions; 10 rushes for 79 yards and two touchdowns

• Career: 228-for-353 passing, 32 touchdowns, nine interceptions; 217 rushes for 930 yards and 15 touchdowns

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jalen Milroe: How Alabama QB has turned into star since USF game in 2023